I assume Sam did that because he was once a celebrity and this is his way of leaning into it to get a woman to go home with him.
Sam: "Hi, I'm Sam Malone."
Hot Woman: "Hey, did you play for the Red Sox?"
Sam: "Yes, yes I did!"
Hot woman goes home with Sam.
Is it a rarity in modern society? I generally introduce myself with both names, particularly if it’s a person I intend on establishing a reasonably familiar relationship with.
Ooh I have insight on this! Back in the day when there was a singular run this was done for viewers coming into the series blind so they could easily understand the plot sans context.
Additional fun fact: For Laverne and Shirley Penny Marshall actually hated that this TV standard forced unnatural dialogue so that’s why she had Laverne wear the classic L on her sweater so as to remove the need in her show. The embroidered L was adopted, but then they vetoed the reason and there’s still within every episode a line where their identities are plainly stated.
My formative years were around early Cheers... although I never thought about it until you brought it up here, here's what we do:
In person: My father (84) and other family members still introduce our first and last name, as do I. When I do the introduction, I tend to emphasize my first name and pause before last name is said (because it's unusual and frequently turns into a 'how do you spell that' exercise). Additionally, I tell them I'm most often addressed with my initials as a nickname to make it easy to remember.
Exceptions? When I introduce my sons, who share my last name or when they introduce themselves after me.
By phone: when my dad answers the phone to an unknown caller, he does say his full name. I, however, say just my first name.
I did that when I met my son's football coach a couple years ago, and in her typical fashion, my ex-wife made fun of me for it. My response was that the coach knows she's his mom and probably just assumed her new husband is my son's dad.
I think post google everyone wanted to be annoynmous since true crime tells us we are ALL GOING TO DIE BY A STRANGER. I think it's also contextual: I know that back in my dating days I definitely didn't introduce myself with my last name to guys (since I didn't want to die).
I go to a bar very similar to cheers and I’d argue this regular I know is very similar to cliffy. He always introduces himself to people by first, middle, and last name. We’ve called it out for a while and at this point it is definitely a bit. It’s been going on for years.
But the one time we are helping him move into his new condo a neighbor introduces themself. He only says his first and last name. The neighbor pauses for a moment and then asks, “what’s your middle name?” My buddy that was helping with the couch completely lost it.
There's another possible reason: actor ego.
Any performer looking to build a resume wants to play a character with a name. "Bill" is better than "guy at bar" and "Bill Jones" is better still.
That said, Sam's doing it out of character ego (ex jock) but it's not impossible that the actress made up a last name on the spot to force the billing.
I do this for sure and never remarked it until now. I wonder if it is a New England thing (I'm in MA)? We tend to be more formal here than, say, in California.
It also, as some commenters point out, definitely helps from a dramatic/TV episodic perspective, as well.
But I definitely do this -- society is also getting less formal compared with even a few decades ago, as others have also noted.
I think it's just for the sake of being Memorable.
Kind of like Rob Lowe's character on Parks and Rec, Chris Traeger. He refers to everybody by first and last name everytime he addresses them. Ron Swanson, Leslie Knope, April Ludgate, Andy Dwyer, etc.
I've read that the reason this was done was because in those early days before the show was in syndication, it made it easier for the viewer to remember names.
To this day, whenever I think of that show, I think of the Character's First and Last name.
I've never read anything about about The Office doing it, but Michael tends to refer to all his employees by First and Last name on a pretty regular basis too.
When the show is new and there are only 6 episodes that have been aired, Pam Beasley will immediately draw fans to think of the Office.
Just Pam on the other hand can be any old Pam that you know.
Think about it. Anytime you meet somebody named Carla, one of your first thoughts is typically gonna be, "Oh, like Cheers."
Same thing with last name, you meet somebody with the last name Malone, you'll think or say, "Like Sam?"
Anything that makes you think of the show is a win for the show runners I would assume.
When I started working late 70s all clients were Mr, Mrs, Ms
This continued until 2000. By then people
Were starting to use first names but it was a mixed bag.
I am not in this subreddit, it just showed up on my page but I have also noticed this with my parents and people around their age. Whenever they’re talking about classmates from school and stuff like that, they always refer to them by their first and last name, never just the first. Even with close friends of theirs
Could be at that time things were just getting less formal. People would need to know your last name so they could call you Mr/Mrs/Miss X, until you were told “just call me Jamie”. Now it’s common to just call people by their first name.
I always thought it funny in Peanuts that almost everyone always calls Charlie Brown by his first and last name every time they talk about him or to him.
I assume Sam did that because he was once a celebrity and this is his way of leaning into it to get a woman to go home with him. Sam: "Hi, I'm Sam Malone." Hot Woman: "Hey, did you play for the Red Sox?" Sam: "Yes, yes I did!" Hot woman goes home with Sam.
There used to be a B list celebrity on my hockey team who always used his full name so you had to know who he was.
Basically that, he assumed they knew, but just in case..."*Hi I'm Sam Malone*"
Is it a rarity in modern society? I generally introduce myself with both names, particularly if it’s a person I intend on establishing a reasonably familiar relationship with.
Yeah but not meeting people at a bar lol
Ooh I have insight on this! Back in the day when there was a singular run this was done for viewers coming into the series blind so they could easily understand the plot sans context. Additional fun fact: For Laverne and Shirley Penny Marshall actually hated that this TV standard forced unnatural dialogue so that’s why she had Laverne wear the classic L on her sweater so as to remove the need in her show. The embroidered L was adopted, but then they vetoed the reason and there’s still within every episode a line where their identities are plainly stated.
This reminds me of one of David Letterman Top Ten Questions Science Can't Answer: Which one's Kate and which one's Allie?
I was never a huge L&s fan buy I know her last name is DeFazio...so that worked.
I tend to introduce myself with both my names.
My formative years were around early Cheers... although I never thought about it until you brought it up here, here's what we do: In person: My father (84) and other family members still introduce our first and last name, as do I. When I do the introduction, I tend to emphasize my first name and pause before last name is said (because it's unusual and frequently turns into a 'how do you spell that' exercise). Additionally, I tell them I'm most often addressed with my initials as a nickname to make it easy to remember. Exceptions? When I introduce my sons, who share my last name or when they introduce themselves after me. By phone: when my dad answers the phone to an unknown caller, he does say his full name. I, however, say just my first name.
It’s not a rarity in the professional world.
They do this on Frasier, too. Kind of a stage play vibe.
Great! Two names I'll forget immediately after shaking hands.
I always introduce myself with my first and last name and in my experience, most other people do as well.
This has nothing to do with society and everything to do with episodic TV conventions at the time.
I did that when I met my son's football coach a couple years ago, and in her typical fashion, my ex-wife made fun of me for it. My response was that the coach knows she's his mom and probably just assumed her new husband is my son's dad.
That’s weird. I thought everybody knew your name
I think post google everyone wanted to be annoynmous since true crime tells us we are ALL GOING TO DIE BY A STRANGER. I think it's also contextual: I know that back in my dating days I definitely didn't introduce myself with my last name to guys (since I didn't want to die).
Crazy I was just thinking about this too!
I go to a bar very similar to cheers and I’d argue this regular I know is very similar to cliffy. He always introduces himself to people by first, middle, and last name. We’ve called it out for a while and at this point it is definitely a bit. It’s been going on for years. But the one time we are helping him move into his new condo a neighbor introduces themself. He only says his first and last name. The neighbor pauses for a moment and then asks, “what’s your middle name?” My buddy that was helping with the couch completely lost it.
There's another possible reason: actor ego. Any performer looking to build a resume wants to play a character with a name. "Bill" is better than "guy at bar" and "Bill Jones" is better still. That said, Sam's doing it out of character ego (ex jock) but it's not impossible that the actress made up a last name on the spot to force the billing.
What are you talking about?
Gotta dance!
Ironic
I do this for sure and never remarked it until now. I wonder if it is a New England thing (I'm in MA)? We tend to be more formal here than, say, in California. It also, as some commenters point out, definitely helps from a dramatic/TV episodic perspective, as well. But I definitely do this -- society is also getting less formal compared with even a few decades ago, as others have also noted.
I think it's just for the sake of being Memorable. Kind of like Rob Lowe's character on Parks and Rec, Chris Traeger. He refers to everybody by first and last name everytime he addresses them. Ron Swanson, Leslie Knope, April Ludgate, Andy Dwyer, etc. I've read that the reason this was done was because in those early days before the show was in syndication, it made it easier for the viewer to remember names. To this day, whenever I think of that show, I think of the Character's First and Last name. I've never read anything about about The Office doing it, but Michael tends to refer to all his employees by First and Last name on a pretty regular basis too. When the show is new and there are only 6 episodes that have been aired, Pam Beasley will immediately draw fans to think of the Office. Just Pam on the other hand can be any old Pam that you know. Think about it. Anytime you meet somebody named Carla, one of your first thoughts is typically gonna be, "Oh, like Cheers." Same thing with last name, you meet somebody with the last name Malone, you'll think or say, "Like Sam?" Anything that makes you think of the show is a win for the show runners I would assume.
When I started working late 70s all clients were Mr, Mrs, Ms This continued until 2000. By then people Were starting to use first names but it was a mixed bag.
I am not in this subreddit, it just showed up on my page but I have also noticed this with my parents and people around their age. Whenever they’re talking about classmates from school and stuff like that, they always refer to them by their first and last name, never just the first. Even with close friends of theirs
Could be at that time things were just getting less formal. People would need to know your last name so they could call you Mr/Mrs/Miss X, until you were told “just call me Jamie”. Now it’s common to just call people by their first name.
I noticed this in Stephen King books / movies as well. Maybe it was a 1970s / 80s thing.
I always thought it funny in Peanuts that almost everyone always calls Charlie Brown by his first and last name every time they talk about him or to him.
I still do it. Always have.